Working with People with Learning Disabilities: Theory and Practice

Working with People with Learning Disabilities: Theory and Practice

Synopsis

"A comprehensive introduction to working with people with learning disabilities, this guide provides the theoretical understanding needed to inform good practice and to help improve the quality of life of people within this group. Emphasising empowerment and inclusion of those with learning disabilities, they relate theory to issues such as loss and bereavement, sexuality and social stigma. They also provide guidance for practitioners on social policy and legislation and explore crisis intervention, values and ethics, advocacy and joint agency work, making this an extremely useful resource for social workers, nurses, teachers, care workers and others working with people with learning disabilities." Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Excerpt

'Learning difficulty' or 'learning disability', which term should be used? This is a difficult question to answer and one about which views vary. Ideally people should be referred to by name and not be labelled with a definition that encompasses many different ability levels. In the 1980s the term 'learning difficulties' started to replace the use of the term 'mental handicap'. The use of learning difficulties emerged essentially from the Warnock Report which introduced it as a term to embrace all children with special educational needs. In part, its introduction focused on being more positive and reducing stigmatization. The term was generally applied to children in education; however, there were and still are some who apply it to adults. Later, learning disabilities became the definition more regularly used in relation to adults. In reality the terms 'learning disability' and 'learning difficulty' are, to an extent, used interchangeably to describe someone who has 'intellectual functioning that is more limited and is developing or has developed more slowly than is the case for most of the population' (Thomas and Pierson 1996, p.201). The debate over definitions and labels will continue; however, we will use the term identified by the Government and used by many others. Therefore throughout the book we will predominately refer to people with learning disabilities. No offence is intended to people who prefer to use the term 'learning difficulties'.

Working with People with Learning Disabilities: Theory and Practice was conceived during the authors' working relationship as practice teacher and social work student studying for the Diploma in Social Work. Both authors have a particular long-term interest in the field of learning disabilities and have diverse practical experience in residential, day care and community based services.

Over a number of years both explored theories and their transferability to direct working practice and identified the difficulties in finding appropriate literature that placed theory into learning disabilities based practice. Some texts examined theoretical perspectives, whilst others focused on people with learning disabilities and various aspects of their lives. A combination seemed to be missing and thus the idea for the book was developed.